


Christmas surprise

by 2W_NikiAngel



Category: Free!
Genre: A little bit of sexual tension at the end, Canon Era, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Not Beta Read, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28267371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2W_NikiAngel/pseuds/2W_NikiAngel
Summary: “I don’t mind being alone at Christmas,” Haruka said, turning to return to washing the dishes. He turned on the water and whispered, perhaps hoping Makoto wouldn’t hear it, “I’m used to it.”“I don’t want you to be,” Makoto said truthfully, standing directly behind Haruka. The brunette felt the heat radiate from him. “I don't want you to be alone when…” He paused.When the pause seemed too long to Haruka, he turned to ask what he meant. But when he looked into his face, which was suddenly strange red, he understood. It was the first time they had been a couple.(Take place after the season one and before the season two.)[Český originální text/Czech original]
Relationships: Nanase Haruka/Tachibana Makoto
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20





	Christmas surprise

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's not Christmas officially yet, but once I had the story written, I couldn't resist. Since I have no idea if I will get to the computer for the next few days at all (lots of family traditions and visits), I decided to enthusiastically share it with you and upload a story for you right away. This is my last story this year, and how else to end the year than with sweet talk and cute boys? :D
> 
> Thank you all very much for your support and I look forward to seeing you again next year!

Like any regular morning, Haruka ate grilled mackerel with freshly cooked rice. He got up today before dawn, so he extended his morning bath for a few happy minutes before tying his apron over his black-and-purple swimsuit so he could prepare breakfast. Satisfied, he put another bite in his mouth when there was a faint knock. He turned toward the hall, as if he could see who it was. He looked at the clock on the wall and frowned. It was half past eight in the morning. He wasn't expecting anyone, his parents had called him three days ago that they would be home until the New Year, when they had prepared one big surprise for him. Although he didn't think much about it, he hoped it wasn't a sibling addition.

He walked to the door and opened it. He first felt the cold stroking his bare skin, and only now did he realize that he was still unable to dress for something that could be considered “more acceptable”. But before he could react to the winter, which created several sores of goosebumps on his body, his space was filled with the heat radiating from his best friend’s smile. “Good morning, Haru-chan,” Makoto smiled with his typical wide smile, which narrowed his eyes a little and scratched his forehead. If Haruka didn’t know him, he would think he would cry at any moment.

“Drop the -chan,” Haruka told him, as he had every morning since elementary school. It was almost a routine for them to replace their normal greetings.

“Oh, Haru, what do you look like,” Makoto said, entering the hall. He closed quickly behind him and laughed. “You’ll catch a cold like this,” Haruka said nothing and went back to his meal. He knew he didn’t have to say anything for Makoto to follow. He took off his shoes, heavy, green coat and red scarf. “It's so cold outside,” he complained, and he fidgeted. He walked into the room where Haruka had eaten from his plate again, and sat down by the small stove next to Haruka’s grandmother’s shrine. Makoto knelt, respectfully joined his hands, and silently prayed for the woman who had raised his best friend. He looked at the photo of his grandmother - graying hair combed into a bun, a few wrinkles from laughter around her eyes, wide lips, eyes as blue as Haruka’s and her favorite, red yukata with gold embroidery depicting the waves of the sea - and smiled. Even though he had only a few vague memories of her, he still missed her. As if someone from his own family had died. Immediately after that, thanks to the half-open window in the kitchen, he was stroked across the skin by the same coldness that prevailed outside. He fidgeted again and reached for the small heater. “Cold, cold, cold,” he whispered to himself.

“What are you doing here?” Haruka asked as he finished and got up to wash the dishes.

“Oh, yes!” Makoto jumped to his feet and smiled broadly again. “I came for you.”

“Do you want to play video games? I have a new episode of  _ Dark Submarine Monsters _ here.”

“I didn’t come  _ to  _ you, but  _ for _ you,” Makoto emphasized. Haruka placed the washed plate on a towel, dripping slowly, and turned to look at Makoto. He blinked slowly. He didn't have to say anything for Makoto to understand that he didn’t understand him. “I came  _ for  _ you,” he said once more, taking a step forward. His right hand jerked slightly. It was obvious that he was struggling not to reach out to Haruka. He bit his lip, perhaps to ward off that desire to touch him or because his smile began to become painful. Haruka shook his head to indicate that he still had no idea what he meant. Makoto sighed loudly, but his good mood didn’t disappear. He took another step forward. “It's Christmas, Haru.”

“I don’t mind being alone at Christmas,” Haruka said, turning to return to washing the dishes. He turned on the water and whispered, perhaps hoping Makoto wouldn’t hear it, “I’m used to it.”

“I don’t want you to be,” Makoto said truthfully, standing directly behind Haruka. The brunette felt the heat radiate from him. “I don't want you to be alone when…” He paused.

When the pause seemed too long to Haruka, he turned to ask what he meant. But when he looked into his face, which was suddenly strange red, he understood. It was the first time they had been a  _ couple _ . Christmas in Japan has always been only another White Day or Valentine’s Day. It was a holiday for lovers. And Makoto, who at first glance almost terrified with his height and robust body, was a romantic from birth. He loved being able to pamper his partner. Haruka always thought that the way Makoto treated him until they finally crossed the imaginary line of friendship and partnership was the culmination of his love. He was wrong. It wasn’t even half of the glacier he’d been overseeing the tip of the last few months.

Haruka didn’t know what to say. He looked into Makoto’s eyes, which finally stopped looking for something around the room, and smiled at each other. Makoto opened his arms, and before he could take one last step to Haruka, the brunette hugged him tightly around the waist. He dug his nose into his drawn chest and plunged into his warmth. He could feel Makoto’s arms wrapping around his shoulders, his nose digging into his black hair, which, as always, still smelled a little of the chlorine of last night’s swim in Goro’s swimming hall.

He and Makoto hugged almost always like little children. Makoto stuck to Haruka during the day; he held it by the hem of his T-shirt at night; when he was startled, he wept in his arms; as they watched the scary movie, he pressed against his neck and his gaze dropped to the ground. They stopped when they were eleven. At that time, Makoto was sleeping in Haruka’s room when a strong storm broke out in the morning. The trees bent until their branches cracked, raindrops drummed on the windows as if they wanted to break them, and the sea made scary, strangling sounds as if it was crying. Makoto was curled up in a ball on a futon, and Haruka, awakened by a loud thunder and Makoto’s quiet cry on the pillow, came down from his bed to make sure his friend was okay. Seeing his teary face and feeling him tremble uncontrollably, he pulled him into his arms. Leaning his back against his bed, Makoto sat on his lap so that his already slightly muscular legs gripped his hips. Makoto’s nose was buried in his shoulders, around which he hugged him tightly. Haruka stroked his back, his hair all the time, and with each louder sound as Makoto shivered, he hugged him a little harder. The storm subsided after a few minutes, but Makoto was still trembling, holding Haruka tight. Likewise, Haruka was still stroking his back and began to shake slightly like him. Something strange happened that night. It settled in their lower bellies. It was warmth - unwanted, pleasant, new - that neither of them knew. It permeated their entire bodies and pounded their hearts. When they finally pulled away from each other, they were both red in the faces. Makoto apologized and went to the bathroom while Haruka was still sitting in the same place, trying to figure out what he was feeling. They never talked about it. Their parents explained their withdrawal by growing up, and the intimacy between them naturally disintegrated.

They hugged only a few times until the last year of high school, always only for birthdays. When they started competing again, that changed. Expectations before the start, nervousness before the race and euphoria after the victory, forced them to look for the other’s embrace more and more often. And then, on the regional, when their relationship with Rin finally settled, the feeling - unwanted, pleasant, new - reappeared. They looked into each other’s eyes, hugged tightly and breathed into their faces until the tips of their ears turned red. That night, as Makoto said goodbye to Haruka at his door, they leaned over and kissed for the first time. They could barely feel the other’s soft mouth, but it was enough to finally stop thinking about everything and indulge in what they both knew a long time ago.

Almost half a year has passed since then. They hugged almost the whole time they were alone. They sought the other’s arms even though they were among friends, in the store, at school, on a walk. They fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle just waiting to be assembled. Haruka didn’t like to admit that he was quickly accustomed to this feeling —  _ warmth, security, protectionism _ —.

It was Makoto who was the first to break free from their grip. His face was in cute pink shade, and his eyes twinkled as if he were looking at his favorite chocolate delicacy. “I have something for you.”

“Makoto—”

“I didn't buy you anything, don't worry,” Makoto admitted with a laugh. He knew that Haruka didn’t like surprises or gifts. Not because he valued them little, but because he never knew how to respond to them. He was afraid he would offend anyone with his stony face. So when Makoto found out, he always left his birthday presents hidden in his room so that he could unwrap them in privacy and silence. He always expressed his gratitude in a text message, and the next morning there were reflections of something even stronger than joy in his eyes. “I just want you to enjoy today. Well… both of us,” he added shyly. Haruka heard him swallow dry.

“Okay,” Haruka said, and left the kitchen without further ado so he could change.

“Put on something warm!” Makoto shouted behind him, and Haruka had to be convinced with his whole being not to roll his eyes. Makoto sometimes acted like a father, watching out for several children.

Ten minutes later, Haruka went downstairs. Makoto was already waiting in the hallway. As soon as he noticed Haruka, he looked at him and said, “You look so good.” Haruka stopped on the last step and frowned. He bowed his head to look. He was wearing black, looser trousers, under which he finally didn’t hide a swimsuit, but comfortable underwear. He wore a white long-sleeved T-shirt under his blue sweater. Already in the room, he tied a yellow scarf around his neck, which he had received from Nagisa last year. He adjusted his hair only slightly in front of the mirror. He looked normal. Like every winter. He therefore didn’t understand Makoto’s praise so much. He just shrugged, walked to the stand next to the door, and put on a dark blue jacket. He sat down on the corridor step and began tying his shoes. “What are we going to do?” He asked with his head bowed as he tied his shoelaces.

“You probably shouldn’t ask me that,” Makoto laughed.

Haruka looked up from the ground the moment Makoto opened the door. In front of the door stood both of Makoto’s younger siblings - the older Ran and the younger Ren. When they saw Haruka, they laughed as broadly as Makoto. “Haru-chan!” They shouted with enthusiasm. They immediately started waving at him and pointing to several buckets and rakes they held.

“Aren’t they sand toys?” Haruka asked as they reached both of them.

“We didn’t find anything better at home,” Ran said, shrugging.

“It must be enough for us to build it,” Ren said firmly.

“Build  _ it _ ?”

“Igloo!” The twins shouted together.

“I told them about how we used to build an igloo together as children and play the game of home in it,” Makoto said as he took Ran’s hand and slowly climbed the icy steps that led to the Misagozaki Shrine.

Haruka and Ren walked a few steps behind them, the younger of the brothers holding his coat, like little Makoto once. “Did you also tell them about how sick you were and cry that we couldn’t play together anymore?”

“Haru!” Makoto complained in a whistling voice. The twins began to laugh out loud and demand the whole story. By the time they reached the clearing in front of the shrine, which was covered in snow with a few inches of freshly fallen snow, Makoto was all red from the story. “That’s enough,” he said, getting dressed. “Let's build the igloo!” He ordered. The twins immediately forgot about the story and listened to their older brother. Even Haruka, who still didn’t understand why Makoto was so attached to not letting him spend Christmas alone, went to work.

In half an hour, Haruka was helping Makoto fix the ceiling with ice and soft snow. With each new brick, their childhood memories came back, when it took them several hours to build just a piece of the wall. For the most part, the whole igloo fell apart and whole pieces of bribed snow fell on their heads. But now, thanks to several years of experience and more strength, they have managed to build an igloo quickly. It was just as big for Ran and Ren, who could stand inside without bending. “We need to make it cozy!” Ran ordered as she grabbed her younger brother’s hand and began pulling him down the stairs.

“Be careful,” Makoto asked, looking carefully in their direction until the tips of the pom poms on their caps were out of sight. Immediately, he turned to Haruka, who was palpating the top of the snow quarters to make it smooth enough. “Oh, Haru,” Makoto whispered to himself as he walked over to him and took his palms in his hands. “You forgot your gloves again.” Haruka’s hands were red and swollen.

“I don’t mind,” he said truthfully. He never felt the cold or the heat like his friends. In the summer he almost never sweated, just as in the winter he never understood the crying of others under the onslaught of the wind.

“Show me,” Makoto said, taking off both gloves.

“I don’t need them,” Haruka said, trying to pull his hands away.

“I know,” Makoto laughed, hiding the gloves in his pockets. He immediately took Haruka’s hands in his and pulled them to his face. He gripped them tightly and exhaled at them. Makoto’s breath was hot and still smelled faintly of mint toothpaste. When he exhaled on his hand a second time, it was only now that Haruka felt his fingertips itch. He winced inconspicuously. Makoto therefore took a step forward to be a little closer to his partner and exhaled into his palms again. His breath now tickled Haruka’s cheeks. He watched him the whole time. The sight — Makoto’s emerald eyes lowered to the ground, his lips shiny, warm, and soft, his shoulders a little crouched to be as close to Haruka as possible, to protect him with his own warmth — was enchanting.

“We're back!” Ran shouted happily, though she was still a few steps away. Haruka and Makoto pulled away slightly. Makoto released his hands, and although Haruka protested at the beginning, Makoto put the gloves on Haruka’s hands. They were still warm. All that bothered him was that they were a little bigger than his own and slipped off his wrist. “Ren, come on, you’re slower than a snail,” his sister complained, putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head incomprehensibly as she watched her brother crawl up the stairs.

“Because I carry everything you think we need!” Ren complained in return.

“Ran, don’t bully your brother,” Makoto said in a sweet voice, stroking her hair. At that moment, Ran seemed to melt and just nodded. Makoto went downstairs to Ren and helped with everything they had brought out of their house together. “I think you want to move out from our house,” Makoto said with a smile to Ran.

“Just what we need,” his younger sister stood behind her, pointing to the igloo. “And hurry inside! I want to play the house!”

“Again?” Ren complained, inflating his cheeks cutely. It was Ran’s favorite game. That’s why she just nodded and lifted her chin to indicate that she was willing to argue. Ren knew he could never win over his older sister, so he just said, “But I don’t want to play Mom again!”

Ren didn’t have to worry about that. After Ran arranged all the things inside the igloo — she hadn’t forgotten the empty frame they’d attached to a branch tucked in on one side of the igloo — they spread a thick blanket and four pillows on the floor and sat on it. Ran clearly ordered that she play a mother who has a disobedient son - Ren. He strangely identified with the role. -, a husband who still drinks coffee and doesn’t understand her - Haruka. The role was assigned directly to his body. -, and a neighbor’s dog, which digs their flower pots in the garden - Makoto. Ran even forced him to put on the dog ears she bought at the festival this summer. He wanted to object, but when he saw the glowing eyes of his siblings, as well as Haruka’s, he just sighed and put them on.

They were playing for less than an hour when they heard someone climb the stairs and head straight for them. They paused, Makoto peered out of the opening and laughed. They saw only shoes and black pants for a moment before the person crouched down and peered inside. “Are you having fun?” Makoto’s dad asked, inspecting the room. “It's nice here.”

“Come and play, too,” Ran said enthusiastically.

“You can play the son, Ran gives me very difficult tasks,” Ren complained.

“I’d love to, but Mom and I are going to pick up dinner.”

Makoto knew what that meant. He returned to the igloo and said clearly, “We're going home.” Ran and Ren were about to protest, but Makoto was adamant. One look at their father was enough, and they knew he didn’t want to hear any objections. They sighed, and the four of them began to reap the things that needed to be brought back into the house.

In a few moments, they were standing inside the house, putting things back in place. Mrs. Tachibana made them hot tea and sent the twins to take a bath before dinner. While their parents were leaving and Makoto was supervising his two siblings in the bathroom, Haruka went to Makoto’s room and turned on one of the games they played together every time he slept there.

“The two will never grow up,” Makoto said wearily as he entered the room and left the door open to hear if his siblings had argued. They loved each other, but Ran was too energetic, chaotic, and stubborn, while Ren was quiet, almost always crying, and sometimes too soft for his own good. Makoto had to save him more than once from his sister. “How is it going?” He asked toward Haruka as he sat down next to him and drank hot tea.

“Normally,” Haruka said of his performance.

“You beat the best score! But I'm surprised it was  _ your  _ score, too. I could never do that. After a few laps, my enemies always caught up with me and…” Makoto turned to Haruka and blinked. “What?” Haruka had been looking at him since he entered the room. His blue eyes burned into his body, as if to leave a mark. Makoto swallowed dry. “Haru?”

“It suits you,” he said, turning his gaze back to the screen.

“Suits me?” Makoto asked confusedly, blinking. Immediately, one of the hands shot to his head and he moaned loudly. “Haru! Why didn’t you tell me I didn’t take them off?” He immediately pulled the dog’s ears off his head and threw them somewhere in the corner of the room.

“It suits you,” Haruka repeated. Makoto mumbled something into his cup. Haruka looked at him and smiled when he saw his pink cheeks. It was so easy to embarrass Makoto. He did it sometimes with mischievous joy.

When Haruka reached the next level and Makoto was already holding an empty cup in his hand, the Tachibanas returned home. “Dinner!” Their mother called in her gentle voice, and she and her husband went straight to the kitchen. Before they could get up, Ren and Ran ran down the stairs and laughed out loud. “Haru-chan, will you sit next to me?” Ren asked with a smile, pointing to an empty chair beside him. Haruka nodded and sat down next to the youngest member of the family. He knew he always had a weakness for him, and whenever he had the chance, he wanted to play with him, or at least took his hand tightly. His sister had the same thing, but in her case, Makoto was the weakness. He wasn’t surprised. Ren’s smile widened a little and placed a full plate in front of Haruka, handed to him by his mother, while his father fairly distributed pieces of meat and vegetables from buckets to plates.

Makoto sat across from Haruka, his sister whispering in his ear, and they both laughed. At that moment, Haruka admired their smile, which seemed almost the same. Ran had a similar hair color to her older brother too, only her eyes were turquoise and more glittering. She was more like him than her own twin. At times, he imagined that once Ran was an adult, she would be as tall as Makoto. The idea terrified him a little.

“Haruka, you look very good,” said Mrs. Tachibana as she sat at the head of the table, along with her husband, who was sitting across the table from her. “I called your mom and said they should come to the New Year celebrations.”

“Yes,” the brunette confirmed. The whole conversation mostly revolved around Haruka’s parents, studying and swimming. He experienced such attention every time he decided to have dinner with the whole family. No one minded, and Haruka himself was surprised that he, too, liked to answer their questions and share his day experiences. The Tachibana family was almost like his own. They cared for him when no one had time. They cared about him when his parents were too far away. And for the last three years, they had been the only adults in his life. Makoto sat across from him, eating from his plate and listening intently. Whenever their eyes met, he smiled. He had a tender expression on his face that pounded Haruka’s heart. He always preferred to focus on the chicken on his plate.

When everyone had finished, Mrs. Tachibana took away all the dishes and returned to the dining table with a tray of a white, whipped cream cake with a few whole strawberries. “It’s beautiful,” Ran whispered as she and Ren knelt in their chairs to take a good look.

“Made with love,” she told her children.

“Everything you done is always full of love,” Mr. Tachibana said to his wife, who, after so many years of living together, blushed.

“Can you keep it in the bedroom?” Ran asked, rolling her eyes. Makoto almost choked with tea.

“What did you say, young lady?” Mr. Tachibana asked with a raised eyebrow.

“T-they said it on T-TV,” Ran said, her mouth pursed and her eyes darting around the room. Their father was the only one who could tame Ran.

“Don’t say that again,” he asked her. “Otherwise you won’t get a piece of cake.”

“Daddy!” Ran complained loudly, but finally obeyed. Everyone received a piece of cake and poured hot, jasmine tea.

Haruka ate only a little. The cake was delicious, but he felt full and sweet wasn’t his favorite food. But when he looked ahead, a faint chuckle slipped from his mouth. Makoto enjoyed every bit as if it were his last. He inconspicuously stole a strawberry from Ran’s plate, for which he earned a finger sting from his sister’s fork. “You can take it from me if you want,” he interrupted them.

“Really?” Makoto’s eyes widened with excitement. Haruka didn’t answer, just pushed his saucer closer to his - Friend? Partner? Lover? He still didn't know what to call him. -, who willingly accepted him and immediately joined him. “Thank you, Haru-chan.” The brunette didn’t protest the name this time.

“It’s getting dark,” Mrs. Tachibana said suddenly as she looked out the window. The sun was slowly setting, coloring the sky dark orange and light blue, creating a beautiful tangle of colors. If there wasn’t a few inches of snow on the ground and in the branches, they would have thought it was just almost night on a beautiful spring day.

Makoto looked at his mother. “Can we?” He asked quietly, nodding instead of answering. Makoto smiled broadly and rose from his seat. “Then we should go.” Haruka looked at him confused, but the others at the table got up and went to the hall without another word to put on warm boots and coats.

“Where are we going?” Haruka asked Makoto quietly as they sat together on the podium in the hallway, tying their shoelaces.

“You’ll see,” he replied mysteriously, and Haruka just shrugged. From the sparks in his eyes, he guessed it was a surprise that the younger was excited about. And what kind of - Friend? Partner? Lover? He didn’t even know what Makoto thought he was. - if he was if he spoiled it? He got up from his seat, and he and Makoto were the last to leave the house.

Together they reached the pier, where several ships were parked. The sea was calm today. The waves rubbed lightly against the bottoms of the ships, creating a quiet melody that calmed everyone. They reached the end of the pier. The sun had almost set and hid in the sea, as if to fall asleep in it. A charming moon shone brightly in the sky, and several stars twinkled.

“That’ll be great,” Makoto whispered to himself. He pulled some small papers and pens from his jacket pocket. He handed one to Haruka, the other to his parents, and the third to his siblings. When he handed them the papers, Mr. Tachibana knelt, and Ren and Ran immediately leaned the papers against his back and began writing something on them. Both of their parents laughed - Mrs. Tachibana because of what she read, Mr. Tachibana because their small hands and pen tips tickled him.

“Haru,” Makoto said softly as he knelt on the edge of the pier and pointed beside him. Haruka knelt beside him and looked confusedly at the paper and pen in his hands. “Write your wish. We’ll send it by sea. And maybe it will come true.” Haruka just nodded. He put the tip to the paper and thought. What should he wish for? Make the summer come faster so he can swim? He’s not a God to influence the seasons. To get the school grand and finally build an indoor pool for them? By the time it was built, Makoto and he would have graduated a long time ago. To bring more members to the swimming club? Although he understood Nagisa and his need to expand the club to guarantee him and Rei that the club would continue to function after they left, it suited him that he had only close friends around him. To make all his friends well? He didn't know of any troubles that would afflict them. For parents to finally return home? When he thought about it like that, he never really wanted it much. Their presence in his life was already superfluous to him.

Makoto’s low sigh tore him from his thoughts. He stopped looking at the blank paper in front of him and looked at Makoto, who was smiling broadly at him. “You should see yourself, Haru,” the younger laughed as, with each passing second, another wrinkle popped up on Haruk's forehead, deepening with another thought. “Just a few minutes and you'd look like a shar pei.”

“Shut up,” Haruka complained. “Do you know what to wish for?”

“Yes,” Makoto replied, reaching out so he could take a pen from him. He began writing immediately, and Haruka straightened discreetly to see over his shoulder. But he couldn’t read anything. Makoto wrote in a strangely small font. His wish was long, almost impossible to fit on paper. “Done,” he said happily, translating the paper several times and handing the pen back to Haruka. He got up and walked over to his mother to take a paper lantern and matches from her. Ran and Ren were done, too, and immediately demanded that their lanterns be lit first. Makoto helped Ran, while Mr. Tachibana helped Ren again.

When Haruka finally finished his wish and hid the pen in his pocket, everyone had their lanterns ready. Mrs. Tachibana smiled at him and handed him a single lantern in light blue color. “I didn’t know you had such a Christmas tradition,” he said truthfully as she helped him light the square inside the lantern so they could send it together on the water. He thought he knew everything about Makoto.

“It’s the first time today,” she said, and when Haruka looked at her blankly, she added, “Makoto invented it.” Haruka blinked and turned to look at Makoto, who was helping Ran fix her wishes on the lantern. “He told me he wanted to do something special today when you were spending Christmas together for the first time.” Haruka turned back to Makoto’s mother and stroked his cheek with his free hand and smiled broadly at him before he could say anything. Without a word, she released the lantern and left it in Haruka’s hands. She sat down next to her husband, who sent their wishes together in a pink lantern. Haruka walked back to Makoto, who was already waiting for him with his yellow lantern. “Can we?” The brown haired boy asked excitedly. Haruka nodded. Together with everyone on the pier, they slowly leaned forward and placed the lanterns on the sea level. The waves immediately took them and began to pull them away from them. The lanterns shimmered, glowed, and gave away heat they couldn’t feel in their bodies but in their hearts. Ran jumped around her father’s shoulders and began to laugh as Ren pointed and commented on how far they were sailing.

Makoto and Haruka sat side by side in silence. They looked ahead and watched as their lanterns circled around each other, letting themselves be carried away by the waves. Haruka couldn’t shake the strange feeling of deja vu. The swirl reminded him of something he could never forget. The night Makoto, still in middle school, took him to a swimming club and together - dressed, confused and beautiful - they swam around like courtship dolphins. Even then, Makoto did something that pleased Haruka. He opened his heart to him, confessed to him — though he still had no idea that day why he had enjoyed his  _ I love you _ , and why it came to him more truly than any girl who had ever confessed to him — and stayed after his side as if it were his place destined from birth.

The brunette turned his head to look at Makoto. He was looking at the sea in front of him, he was strangely calm. He smiled slightly, his eyes shining brighter than the stars above them, thanks to the stars and the small flames of happiness. The heat spread around Haruka’s heart, which began to absorb him. Even the cold air and snowflakes, which were slowly falling to the ground, couldn’t cool him down. Without thinking, he held out his frozen palm to Makoto. He placed it on his and squeezed it gently. Makoto immediately turned to him, looked into his eyes, and intertwined his fingers without a word. He hid their joined palms in his pocket. Maybe their parents wouldn’t see it - they still hadn’t told anyone about their relationship, they weren’t ashamed of it, but they didn’t even need anyone to look at their privacy - maybe to warm him up a little.

After a few minutes, they all got up and headed back up the stairs to their homes. It was already dark, lamps were shining on the payment, and the youngest members of the family were asking if they could have hot chocolate before sleep. Makoto and Haruka walked a few steps behind them, their palms still hidden in the pocket of Makoto’s warm, heavy, green coat. They said nothing, enjoying the way their shoulders bumped all the way and their thighs rubbed slightly against each other.

“I'm going to accompany Haru,” Makoto said when they finally reached a familiar crossroads. Ran and Ren already wanted to join them, but their parents dragged them home. They said something about it being too late and too cold. But they both knew they were saying it just for the sake of giving them some privacy. “I think they know,” Makoto said when he heard Ran protest loudly, explaining that H _ aru was also almost her brother, and she wanted to say goodbye to him and say good night _ . He told himself more to himself, as such a small realization and quiet thank you that his parents, no matter how strict and unyielding they were, were the best he could wish for. They never prevented him from doing anything. And not at all in the relationship with Haruka.

As quietly as they had now, they came in front of Haruka’s house, which was immersed in darkness. Only now did the brunette realize that somewhere in the corner of his heart he didn’t even want to return to a full house. Silence, darkness and loneliness didn’t bother him. He never felt sad. But now that he had finally released Makoto’s palm and looked at him, he was sad. Now, after all, he didn’t want to be alone. “Thank you,” Haruka whispered. But in the stillness of the night, his words were loud enough, and when Makoto heard them, he laughed.

“You’re welcome, Haru.” Makoto swallowed hard and cleared his throat. “You know… I … s-something else.” Haruka looked at him curiously. Makoto’s face was slightly pink and his eyes darted somewhere between him and the door of the house. “I-it’s stupid, but…” He cleared his throat again. It was easy to embarrass him. He was almost always nervous. That’s why he didn’t even find this behavior weird. Still, his palm shook strangely. He felt it was something he wasn’t ready for. “This,” Makoto said in the strongest voice he could find, pulling a tiny box from the inside pocket of his coat. “I-I know you don’t like g-gifts, and that I-I said I didn’t buy you any-anything but…” He paused again. And he cleared his throat again.

Haruka took the box from him and examined it from all sides. It was small and carefully wrapped. Makoto most likely asked the staff in the store to do it for him, knowing how clumsy he was. It wasn’t until he unwrapped the paper that he noticed his fingers were trembling. He tried to exhale at the heartbeat so as not to make Makoto even more nervous. He hid the paper in his pocket and looked at the black box that lay in his hands. He swallowed and opened the lid. “Makoto,” the brunette whispered as he inspected a silver necklace with a small dolphin pendant that had a blue, cut stone instead of an eye. “Makoto,” he repeated, not knowing what else to say.

“I-I hope it’s not too m-much,” Makoto whispered, scratching his neck, as he always did when he was too nervous. Instead of answering, Haruka just shook his head. He pulled the chain out and hid the box in his pocket for unwrapped paper. He lifted the chain higher and looked the brown hair directly in the eye. He understood immediately. With the words, “Turn around,” he took the chain in his hands and unzipped it. Haruka obeyed, turned his back on him, and unbuttoned the first few buttons of his jacket to get Makoto to his neck. Makoto took a step forward, almost brushing the older one with his whole body and fastening the chain around his neck. “It's a little l-long,” he said, a little disappointed.

“It’s perfect,” Haruka said seriously, turning. “Thank you,” he repeated.

They stood close together. Just a few inches and their mouths would come together. Instead, Makoto smiled and leaned his forehead against Haruka’s. He closed his eyes contentedly and whispered, “I’m glad you like it.” Haruka grumbled instead of answering. He felt Makoto breathe hot air at him. How he still smelled of the new cologne he had received for birthday from his mother and smelled with it only for special occasions. He always smelled like sea air and sweet popsicles. But now he smelled like a grown man - burnt wood, dark chocolate and oranges. Combined with his own sweat, it was an almost intoxicating scent that made a weird thing with Haruka’s head. “Haru?” Makoto whispered as he felt the elder burn his eyes. He opened his green eyes and blinked. “Haru,” he whispered again as he noticed Haruka’s blue eyes darken. They didn’t look like a deep ocean, but like the sky waiting for a devastating storm. “Haru,” he whispered for the last time before grabbing Haru’s cheek, stroking his soft, cold skin with his fingers, and leaning over to kiss him.

Haruka responded to his kiss immediately. He closed his eyes and parted his mouth. He rubbed it gently against him — he still tasted after sweet cake and strawberries — and kissed him lightly a few times. Their breath mixed into one. The kisses were still innocent, gentle, light. Almost like a light touch of feather. When Makoto let out a faint sigh that stuck in his throat, he pulled away slightly. Maybe he wanted to stop, maybe he was afraid of what would happen next.

But what was certain was that Haruka wanted more. Before Makoto could move away from him, he held out his palms to his cheeks and gripped him tightly. Makoto was inhaling to say his name again, but he was too slow. Haruka kissed him again. He held his cheeks tightly until Makoto feared he would leave red fingerprints on them, but his mouth was as soft as before. He tasted Makoto’s upper lip only a few times before taking the lower one between his lips. Makoto shivered, his fine, short hair standing on the back of his neck. He had no idea what to do with his hands, so he returned them to grab Haruka’s cheeks. They were suddenly hot from the blood rushing into them. He pulled away slightly from the brunette so he could breathe. He was used to holding his breath for a few minutes from swimming, but now it was as if his lungs had no capacity. He wiped his lips with his tongue and wanted to close them again so they could return to the kisses when he felt Haruka’s thumb in the corner of his mouth. He pulled the corner with his finger so that Makoto’s mouth remained slightly ajar. Before the brunet could react, he felt something wet on his lower lip that demanded penetration. For the first time in all the time they decided to kiss, he moaned faintly. The half-open mouth was almost as green at the traffic light for Haruka. He stuck his tongue in his mouth for only a second, but he still felt his taste, tenderness, and bitterness, which greeted and enticed him. He wanted to explore it more.

Haruka pulled his hands away from his cheeks and placed them on Makoto’s hips. Makoto followed, pulling his hands away from his cheeks and wrapping his arms around his shoulders, hanging around his neck like the warmest scarf he had ever had. They huddled together. They were getting hot. They both suddenly had a desire to take off their warm coats and feel the other’s body a little closer. But that would mean that they would have to move away from each other, and neither of them wanted to. They pressed even harder until their noses were pressed uncomfortably against each other, and they both snorted when the coveted air didn’t reach their lungs.

At one point they both suddenly opened their mouths and their tongues touched for the first time. Their fingers dug into Makoto’s coat - Haruka’s fingers on his hips, just above the hem of his pants adorned with a belt; Makoto’s on his elbows, not realizing how hard he pressed himself against Haruka’s Adam apple and strangled him lightly. They pulled away, took a breath, opened their mouths again, and began to kiss. Haruka’s tongue was coarser, almost feline, but it was a little wetter and tasted fresh, like a spring breeze. Makoto’s was fatter and, like his owner, innocent and fearful of what he should do. Haruka, after a few years, finally felt the upper hand, the slight dominance he had usurped in his mouth. He guided him like a small child learning to walk. He played with his tongue, examining his gut, touching his sharp teeth. Behind each movement was confidence, which was amplified by the trembling body in his arms.

“ _ Hng _ .” The sound made them both stop. Their mouths were still glued to each other, but their eyes widened. Haruka’s were even darker, if they hadn’t stood under the lighting of the house, they would have been completely black; while Makoto’s were widespread by horror. The taller one pulled away quickly and began to breathe rapidly. Only then did Haruka realize that he was holding his breath and finally exhaled deeply so that he could suck in fresh air into his lungs. "… S-sorry, I-I…” Makoto began, but couldn’t find the right words. His face flushed with humiliation. He lowered his eyes and looked somewhere at Haruka’s coat. He looked like he was doing something bad. “I-I…” He wanted to start again, but his voice got stuck in his throat. He swallowed. His neck was dry and irritated. He had an urge to cough.

“Makoto,” Haruka said breathlessly. “Makoto,” he repeated, pressing his fingers firmly in his hips. Makoto looked up and looked into Haruka’s eyes. “Why are you apologizing?”

“Well, b-be… because…”

“Makoto,” Haruka said, forcing him to crouch slightly to get better at his mouth. “Please,” he whispered just before he kissed him again. No more light wiping in the style of butterfly wings. He immediately caught him in his hot mouth and tasted it again with his tongue. He was trying to find the place that had made Makoto—

“ _ Hngh _ .” Bingo. The sensitive tip of his tongue, which he sucked between his lips, made Makoto moan. He didn’t want to, he wanted to tame himself, he was shaking. Haruka felt how much he thought. But he didn’t want him to think about anything. He wanted to see only the feeling that -  _ Haruka  _ \- gave him. Which he had never known before. And who can only experience it with him. This time, he didn’t pull away from him to say anything and force him to relax. He simply kissed him again - faster, hungrier, more passionately. And Makoto reciprocated with another moan. “ _ Mhm, Ha — ah — Haru, _ ” Makoto breathed excitedly, finally relaxing. He stopped frowning, released his grip on his elbows, and his trembling body began to move. Together they took a few steps closer to Haruka’s house. Haruka slammed his back against the door with a soft sigh. Makoto placed his palms on his shoulders, tilted his head to the side so that the brunette had better access to him, and they deepened the kiss. Little did anyone know that it was still possible. “ _ Ahg _ .”

“ _ Ma…koto _ ,” Haruka whispered into their mouths.

Makoto shivered again, his body straightening, rubbing against it in front of him, and sighing again. Haruka’s neighbors must have heard him louder than he had planned. But neither of them cared at the time. Haruka released his hips and moved his palms to his hips. He began to play with the hem of his pants with his right hand, revealing the sensitive, hot skin that hid beneath them. “ _ Har-ahg, _ ” Makoto moaned again, and Haruka arched his back.

He never imagined that someone’s voice could control him like that. When he was growing up, he was seldom excited by something. He took pornography only as a necessary evil that helped him in the worst moments, when he didn’t want to unleash his imagination on something as tiring as masturbation. He took it only as a physical necessity, which he needed to get rid of so that he could go dive back into the water.

It didn’t change until Makoto looked at their captain Natsuya at the middle school swimming club farewell, and instead of a nice smile, he had a slight redness in his face and his eyes twinkled with tears the origins of the brunette couldn’t decipher. The sight - surrendered, cordial,  _ in love _ \- haunted him in several dreams and, after a few months, in his imagination. Suddenly, the evening’s moments devoted to the body became a little more bearable when he thought that even someone as innocent as Makoto could feel the desire inside him. After two years, he stopped, perhaps because it seemed strange to him at the age of fifteen to imagine his friends when he was twelve, but only one thing was enough - to look into Makoto’s room. Whenever the blinds were closed, he knew he was doing something in the room he didn’t want others to see. Even Haruka. And that seemed exciting.

As they began to walk together, all these bodily things hung in the air and floated over their heads like ships waiting for a powerful typhoon. It wasn’t until a month later that they both realized that neither expected anything from each other, and as always, they went at their own pace. In half a year, they had only a few kisses, mostly before saying goodbye, and everyone went to their house, or after training, in the showers, when they were both still naked and soapy with shampoo. Sometimes they held hands in front of the television, taking turns in bed as to who was hugging whom. Everything was innocent.

But now all their inhibitions had fallen. Haruka could think of nothing but that he wanted to hear and feel much more than Makoto had just offered.

They had no idea how long they had been kissing. However, when they both pulled away from each other, they were all red and unable to catch their breath. They just stood there for a few minutes, their foreheads resting on each other, their eyes closed, fresh snow falling on their heads. It wasn’t until their breath and their hearts calmed that they opened their eyes and looked at each other. Makoto smiled broadly and returned Haruka with the light, pleasant smile that was so special and beautiful to him.

“T-thank you,” Makoto whispered. Haruka just muttered something. There was definitely no reason to thank him.

“Don’t you want to sleep here?” The brunette asked without thinking much about it.

Makoto blinked and blushed again. “I’m n-not sure, Haru, I'm not even p-pre—”

“No, I thought…” Haruka cleared his throat. “It doesn’t matter. Go home.” Makoto laughed again at this offensive sentence, and Haruka shot one of his dissatisfied expressions at him. “I was  _ only _ thinking about  _ sleeping _ ,” he whispered, but the brunet heard him quite clearly.

“I get it,” Makoto said as he leaned over to kiss Haruka on the cheek. He pulled away from him and looked at his watch. “Wow, it’s almost nine in the evening,” he said in surprise, looking back at the brunette. He was still standing in the same place. Makoto’s eyes slid to his lips — now swollen, wet, and red — and to his neck, which shone with a silver chain. “I really enjoyed it today. Thank you for letting me make you happy, Haru-chan.”

“Stop with the -chan, already,” Haruka protested, but Makoto knew he was saying it out of habit.

“All right, all right,” Makoto laughed. “Good night, Haru.”

“Good night,” Haruka said. Makoto turned and waved at him before taking a few steps to his house.

When Haruka heard no crackling snow under his heavy boots, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. He turned on the light in the hallway and took off his jacket, which he hung on a hanger. Next to it, there was also a shoebox and a mirror. Haruka looked at his reflection. He paid no attention to his red cheeks, nose, or toes. He didn’t even care why his lips were so bright. He just looked at his neck, where a dolphin with a blue stone was swinging. He touched it with his fingers and stroked it several times. “God,” he whispered to himself, lowering his chin to his chest. “I love you...” he whispered into the silence of his house. He wasn’t afraid of the words here, but he knew it was too early for them. He knew that Makoto had the same feelings for him, and perhaps a little deeper than his own, because of how easily Makoto experienced all his emotions. But he still knew that the moment they said those words, the boundary between them would fall, irretrievably gone. And they both knew they had time to do it.

Immediately, his fingers absently touched his lips. He could still taste Makoto’s taste on them. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and nodded. He decided - tomorrow he will repay Makoto’s surprise. With that, he went to the kitchen to bake his favorite chocolate cake with bananas. He knew that he would please Makoto more than with a jewel.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr [2WNikiAngel](http://www.2wnikiangel.tumblr.com).


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